Home Sweet Home?
by Marguerite Krex
Summary: Post "The Curse" Sarah is found and Osiris is removed. How can she cope with life again with thousands of years worth of memories of a monster? Can Daniel be there when she needs him?
1. Disclaimer

Hi all!  
  
This is my first Stargate Fan Fiction. I usually write other fandoms but never anything this large! Please please please review, I need the ego boost!  
I hate to admit but my Stargate knowledge isn't quite what it used to be. If some things are off cannon, don't hurt me!  
  
Standard Disclaimer: I don't own 'um. I wish I did, but I don't. Not making any money either. Wish I did, but I wont. Don't sue, I'm just a humble college student who lives off mac and cheese.  
  
Summary: Sarah is found and Osiris is removed. How can she cope with life again with thousands of years worth of memories of a monster? Can Daniel be there when she needs him?  
  
Rating: PG:13 


	2. Chapter 1

Everything was hazy. Her mind was racing. What had happened...she remembered....an explosion. Pain...then nothing. Dr. Jordan...They'd been working together....cataloging artifacts that had to be sent back to the Egyptian Government by the end of the week...beyond that, she had no idea.  
Cracking her eyes open, she was not greeted to the site she expected. Instead of the stark white hospital walls she was expecting, she was in a strange room. Men and women in odd attire mulled about with foreign equipment scattered about.  
"Dr. Gardner? My name's Jacob Carter. We have a lot that we need to discuss." a man said, pulling up a chair.  
  
Back on Earth, it was a rainy day. A miserable day to accompany a miserable man in a miserable mood. One year ago on this day, Daniel's world fell apart once again as history repeated itself, as he watched another woman he had walked away from for the sake of the Stargate Project disappear. Disappear with a snake inside her. He didn't want to get out of bed, didn't want to face the world, not today. The phone rang again and again was ignored. Someone had tried to get a hold of him all morning. Maybe there was an emergency. Did he care anymore? Rolling over he looked out the window, willing time to continue.  
A half hour later he heard a pounding on the front door. He knew it was Jack, could tell by the forceful and insistent knocks. He ignored it. A minute later, he heard a key in the hole. Dammit, he'd given Sam a key in case something happened. Rolling out of bed, he padded into the living room to see all of SG:1 filing in.  
"Hey Daniel..." Jack opened, barely able to hide a grin.  
"You'[re dripping on my rug." Daniel pointed out.  
"Daniel, maybe you should sit down." Carter offered, practicaly bursting with happiness for her friend. "We have news." she continued when she got no response. "We got a call from my dad. The Tokra found something. Or to be precise, someone."  
Daniel looked at them blankly.  
"Sarah, Daniel. They found Sarah on some abandoned planet, left there to die."  
"You mean Osirus," Daniel practically spat.  
"No. It's Sarah." Jack corrected him with a grin.  
"They removed the symbiote?" Daniel asked, his voice wobbling. Jack looked to Sam hoping she had an answer.  
"Well...no. But for some reason it has no control over her." Sam offered. "They're going to try to remove it as soon as she's well enough."  
"She's hurt?" THAT snapped Daniel out of his haze.  
"Not really hurt per-say. Just a little worse for the ware from being abandoned on that planet."  
"Nothing a good meal won't be able to fix!" Jack reassured him.  
"Can we....Can I..."  
Teal'c interrupted his studdering. "General Hammond has given us permission to leave for the Tokra base as soon as we've collected you."  
Daniel just stared at them, not comprehending.  
"You know what you need? Pants." Sam smirked as she gave him a nudge for the bedroom.  
An hour later, SG:1 in its entirety watched the stargate as it came to life. Daniel shot Jack an uncertain look.  
"Go on..." he said softly, wanting nothing more than his friend to find some peace. There'd be some peace. There'd be some problems, Sarah knew some highly classified things. But on the other hand, Daniel could use some competent help so he wouldn't be run so ragged, and it would in the very least let them be friends again, maybe more.  
Hesitantly, Daniel stepped through the gate and found himself in a beautiful forest.  
"Oh lookie! Trees!" Jack said dryly.  
Jacob stepped forward. "You're late." he said companionably, heading down the path twords a building barely visible through the trees.  
"How is she?" Demanded Daniel, following.  
"Confused. She hasn't been able to recall any of Osirus' memories yet. We don't know why the symbiote lost control over her. We think she'll be able to remember when her mind is able to process such a huge amount of data. She didn't know anything about the Stargate....it was a little bit of a shock."  
"Could it be a trap?" Jack asked. He dreaded possibly throwing a spoke in Daniel's wheel..and he didn't want Sarah to have to suffer any more, poor kid had gone through enough. "Could Osirus really be in control and this all be one big acting job to get to Earth or at the Tokra?"  
"Possible, but we don't think so. Even so we've taken every precaution. If Osirus rears his ugly head, we'll be ready."  
Daniel had stopped listening. He was remembering the first time he had ever met Sarah. It was at college, his first day even. It was Dr. Jordan's Western European History class, he'd been looking forward to it, he had followed Dr. Jordan's work for quite a few years. He was in the front row, a little off to the right, nervous as all get out when she walked in. He couldn't help but stair a little. Girls like that always made him nervous. They were so beautiful, so sure of themselves, not like he was. He looked away, only to have his gaze jerked to the right as she sat down beside him.  
"Hey...I'm Sarah..You any good at this stuff..?"  
Daniel had to smile at the memory. She'd been at Oxford on a dancing scholarship, claimed to hate history, she was only trying to get the credit out of the way. But she had a talent for it, a knack that went beyond book learning. One semester turned into two, and both he and Dr. Jordan worked on her to change her major. She resisted, but in the mean time, the two of them had become best friends. It was rare that you could ever find them apart. Then at the end of their Sophmore year, he finally worked up his courage. One late night after studying, he kissed her. He was blown away when she said she'd been waiting for him to do that for months. Things just progressed naturally and by the time Summer was over, they were living together.  
Jacob finally stopped, pulling Daniel out of his memories. Looking up they were in an open doorway leading to a courtyard garden. And there she was, sitting with a book in her lap. Thinner than he remembered, and she looked tired, but that was the worst of it. A half dozen Tokra guards discreetly were placed around the garden. Jacob gave his shoulder a pat and went back to quietly talking with the rest of SG:1.  
He stepped forward, standing behind her, reaching out to touch her hair that shimmered in the sunlight, his hand just falling short. She must have sensed movement, because she turned around, her eyes widening, relief clearly shining through.  
"Daniel...." 


	3. Chapter 2

He stepped forward, standing behind her, reaching out to touch her hair that shimmered in the sunlight, his hand just falling short. She must have sensed movement, because she turned around, her eyes widening, relief clearly shining through.  
"Daniel...."  
He swallowed hard, sitting down and just drawing him into his arms, hugging her tightly. She easily returned the embrace. "Everything's so confusing....I can't remember...." she wispered into his shirt..  
Daniel gently stroked her hair and back. "I know...I know it's a lot...." he wispered back, pulling back to look at her face, brushing hair away from his eyes. "I'm going to take you home, you're going to be alright, I promise."  
She nodded. Daniel had always looked out for her, always made sure it was alright.   
  
They sat there for a good half hour, just holding onto each other for dear life, talking softly. Finally he stood and helped her stand, keeping an arm around her as he headed back to the others.   
"Hey, everyone...this is Sarah." He finally introduced her before looking to Jacob. "Its getting a little late, I'm going to take her back to her room."  
It wasn't late, they all knew it. But that wasn't the point. Sarah looked exhausted, but happy. SG:1 shuffled aside, letting the two head back into the Tokra facility. Sarah guided him back to the airy room that she had been taken to, only taking a few wrong turns. She never once let go of Daniel's hand. He promised he'd tuck her in, then he'd tell her all about the Stargate and the last 5 years and what had happened to her. She WAS tired, but she didn't think she'd be able to sleep. Looking to the bed, she glanced at him.  
"Daniel...can you....?" she didn't even need to finish the sentence. Daniel just squeezed her hand before dropping it and shrugged out of the coat that went along with the uniform. He pulled off the big combat boots before arranging the pillows and laid down, Sarah immediately stretching out beside him, her head pillowed on his chest. He held her for a minute, his hand stroking her arm reassuringly before he began to talk. She heard him, and on some level even understood what he was talking about, but was happy just to feel the slight rumble of his chest against her cheek, his heart pumping rhythmically beneath her ear comforting her.   
  
Then next thing she realized was that she was cold. She opened her eyes to find it had gotten dark, and Daniel was gone. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes. The Stargate. Gou'ald's. Tokra. It all rang in her ears, painfully true. And Dr. Jordan. Killed by her. But not her.   
Standing, she shrugged on a robe someone left for her and padded out towards a light at the end of the hall where she heard voices.  
"How dangerous is the procedure...?" She heard Daniel's familiar voice. Jacob answered.   
"It's more painful than it is dangerous. It's incredibly invasive to remove a symbiote, and if they Gou'ald doesn't want to be removed, it can make things difficult."  
"What's going to happen to it after...?" Came another male voice. She peeked around the corner to see Daniel and 4 others sitting around the table.  
"The symbiote will be destroyed. We're hoping Sarah will be able to access Osirus' memories, it would be invaluable." said Jacob again, the grey hair man nodding.  
"What about secur..." he older man was interupted as the only woman in the group gave him a nudge and nodded to her.  
"I uh....couldn't sleep....." she offered lamely, feeling like a child who was caught out of bed after her bedtime. Daniel immediately stood up, motioning her to come and sit. She did, realxing when she felt his hands resting on her shoulders, rubbing them in a comforting manor.  
"We were talking about how to remove the symbiote." Daniel told her softly, gently pressing his thumbs against the base of her skull. She tried to hold back a shudder, almost able to feel the slimey snake squirming around inside her stomach. She closed her eyes and....a memory. Pain. The explosion...she was laying on the floor hurting...then another pain, something digging into her, burrowing...she screamed...  
Opening her eyes, she swallowed, trying to banish the memory. The others were looking at her in concern. "It's nothing. I'm alright." she reassured them.  
"Maybe we should get you back into bed...." Daniel offered quietly and she nodded, suddenly exhausted and standing, shooting Daniel a thankful smile as he slipped his arm around her, heading back towards her room with her. "Dr. Janet Fraiser is coming tomorrow...she's the Chief Medical Officer at Cheyanne Mountain, you'll like her. She wants to observe the extraction of the symbiote if it's alright with you...so maybe we can help other people do it some day. Then she's going to have to take some blood tests, make sure you're not sick or that there's any side effects. We're hoping to have you home inside a week."  
"And then what....?"  
Daniel hesitated, "There are some security issues. Obviously the public doesn't know about the Stargate..."  
"You think I'd tell anyone?"  
"I know you wouldn't. But the others don't know you like I do, it's not something they'd take my word on. Plus....the world thinks you're dead...it's been a year since Dr. Jordan died...."  
Sarah looked down. "So....do I actually have any options...?"  
Daniel looked at his shoes. "You could stay in Colorado...help me. We work great together, you know that...and the thing's you'll see, civilizations and peoples that died out millenia ago alive and thriving..." Sarah smiled a little, he was trying so hard not to sound like it mattered to him. "Or I guess you could stay with the Tokra, your knowledge of the Gouald's going to make you pretty important wherever you go." he finished softly.  
Sarah watched him for a long moment before tilting his chin up, gently stroking his cheek with a soft finger. "Do you want me to come back...?" She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it, needed to hear it.  
"I...want you to be safe. And Happy. I don't want what happened to happen again." he wispered hoarsly.  
Slowly, she leaned forward and touched her lips to his. She felt him tremble, or maybe it was her. There were problems, issues with trust. They were different people now, but the old foundation was there. Slipping her arms around him, she kissed him more fully, trying to reassure him that she's alright, that she wont choose some strange alien species over him, that she's ready for whatever he's willing to give her.  
Daniel could barely hold back a groan as he wrapped his arms around her, crushing him against him. This is what he remembered, the easy friendship and the burning passion all wrapped into one big ball and topped off with a bow. Of course he'd had other woman, Sha're, there had been others in college when he and Sarah had just been friends, and in a way, he loved them all. But none had connected with him on an intellectual level. She was able to go head to head with him, arguing to the end but never with the malice usually found between intellectual equals. They had respected each other, helped each other on every level imaginable.  
Gently taking her face in his hands, he kissed her forehead. "You should get some sleep."  
"You don't want to come?"  
"You can feel exactly how much I want to join you....but I think we should wait."  
"....Are you..I don't know...disgusted? With what happened? With me?"  
"No! Sarah, you didn't ask for what happened to happen, it wasn't your fault. But you have a big day tomorrow, the procedure, the tests....and I know if I go in with you, I won't be able to leave."  
She nodded, not sure she believed him but willing to accept his answer.   
"I'm going to be right down the hall. If you wake up, have nightmares, if you need a glass of water, come find me...alright?" She nodded again with a small smile, reassured. Kissing him lightly once more she slipped back into her room, aware of him watching her for a few long moments before turning and heading back to speak with the others.  
Daniel moved back into the courtyard to look at the three moons in the sky. Sitting on the bench he found Sarah on, he sighed, remembering having to say goodbye to her.  
  
It was May, 1996. They were getting ready to spend the summer in Egypt. Three months away from the college before the Fall semester started. He'd been writing his papers, this theories causing an uproar. Stephen openly condemned him for a hack while Dr. Jordan and Sarah, while listening to his ideas with an open mind, could not be persuaded. He'd told Dr. Jordan that he was leaving, going to go and find evidence if it killed him. He had yet to tell Sarah. She was busy packing up their apartment just off campus, getting it ready for the three months of emptyness. He came in late, almost midnight and she knew something was wrong the second he walked into the door.  
"Don't say it. You don't have to." was all she said, not looking up from packing. He realized that it wasn't her things being packed up for Egypt but his being packed up to move out. "I'm not going to pretend I understand why you're choosing a theory over everything you have here...over us. But if you've made up your mind, I know nothing I can say will change it."  
"I'm right Sarah....I know I am...."  
"So what if you are?! Is it worth losing your family over?"  
He never answered her question. Even today, he didn't know how to answer it. Had it been worth it? He and Sarah had been talking about having a family, children, getting married. Would that have changed things? He would have never met Sha're. He had loved her too, in the end. At the begining, he'd just been so lonely and Sha're had been so kind and gentle, she loved him so much. Over the next year he began to love her, and it had almost killed him when she had been taken. He knew Sarah didn't understand when he told her he'd been married, let alone just weeks after he'd left her. Maybe someday she would. Maybe it just didnt matter.  
"Hey stranger..." a soft voice came from behind him. He smiled a little. Sam. Good old dependable Sam. Like the sister he never had.  
"Hey." he said softly, turning to greet her with a small smile.  
"How are you holding up...?" she said as she dropped onto the bench beside him.  
"Could be worse...could be a lot worse." he said, Sam nodding in silent agreement. "I just keep waiting for the other shoe to fall...you know?"  
"So...you two were close...? Really close?" she asked, not wanting to dwell on the negative possibilities.  
"Yeah...we were close. We went through school together, got our doctorates together, worked with Dr. Jordan...we lived together for years....I wanted to ask her to marry me."  
Sam grinned, "Why didn't you?"  
"I never thought she'd say yes."  
"But she was with you for more than 10 years, why wouldn't she say yes?"  
Daniel had to chuckle at the absurdity of his logic. Foresight was 20/20 as they say. "Sarah comes from old money back in England. Very proper and all that, I think her father was some kind of nobility, she never liked to talk about it."  
"She obviously didn't care about it if she didn't talk about it." Sam pointed out the obvious.  
"Yeah well...things were so good just as they were."  
"Didn't want to take the chance..?"  
"Yeah...."  
"And now..?" Sam asked quietly.   
"Things have changed, she's different, I'm different."  
"That doesn't exclude you being able to love her again Daniel."   
"I know," he said with a sigh. "I don't want to rush her, she's been through so much."  
"Daniel, you arn't a horrible, selfish person for wanting to be with her. You know, it's okay for you to want things too some times, you don't always have to sacrifice your wants and needs for everyone else."  
"I know that Sam."  
"Do you? Sometimes I wonder if you do...I want you to do something for me..okay?"  
"Alright...?"  
"Stop worrying about the rest of us. Don't worry about what we think or what we need from you. Concentrate on Sarah. AND on yourself for a little while...okay?"  
Daniel smiled. "Thanks Sam." he said softly drawing her into a hug.  
"Any time Daniel, any time."  
  
The next morning dawned beautifully, the sky having a orangish tint to it. Janet Fraiser came in the late morning, or what would be late morning on Earth. She and Sarah greeted each other politely and then Janet excused herself to go see about preparing for the procedure, leaving Daniel, Sarah, and Sam to wait nervously. Both Jack and Teal'c were off with Jacob talking about the possible implications of having a human on earth with such complete knowledge of the Gou'ald.   
There'd be some issues with the NIS, but saving the world a few times tends to get you the gratitude of some pretty important people. Jack was more than willing to call in a favor to keep Sarah from being a lab rat. He didn't know her, but Daniel cared about her and that was enough for him. Besides, she looked like the kind of lady that could hold her own, and he respected that. He'd also been a prisoner of war in the Middle East, he knew what it was like to come home to a world that was different from when he'd left it. He still had nightmares and he'd just been in the prison for 4 years. She had thousands of years worth of memories to deal with and Osirus didn't seem like that nice of a guy. He was pretty sure some of those memories would be fairly nasty.  
General Hammond was coming to the base to watch the process himself. He felt it was only right that he be there to support Daniel and SG:1. He also needed to meet his Dr. Gardner before he was willing to sign off on her becoming apart of the SGC. He didn't anticipate any problems, her credentials were impeccable and she had the best character reference he would ever trust, their own Dr. Jackson. But he still needed to meet her, even if it was just a formality. Plus it gave him a chance to travel off world, there were so few. He was a man of action and at times it was tiring to do nothing more than read about what people did instead of doing it himself.   
Time dragged by. Hammond came and left again, unable to stay away from the SGC for more than an hour or so. He was reassured that Sarah would make a good addition to the team. While she wasn't a linguist like their own Dr. Jackson, she did have an emphasis on botany with a fair amount of knowledge dealing with Paleontology. They had yet to come across dinosaurs, but one never knew.  
Finally the time came for the procedure. Daniel and Sarah headed into the room hand in hand, Daniel giving her a comforting squeeze. Sarah had always abhorred any kind of medical office, he had to beg and plead her just to have a yearly physical to make sure she was healthy. If she didn't need one to get in and out of the country, it wouldn't have happened.  
"Dr. Gardner, if you'll come over here...?" Janet said, motioning to what looked like a dentists chair. She headed over uncertainly and sat, jerking in surprise when her feet and arms were secured and the chair leaned back. "Don't worry, I told you we wouldn't be able to put you under, you have to be conscious for the procedure, but I've got something that will help you relax." Janet said, swabbing a spot on her arm and grabbing a needle.  
Sarah squeezed her eyes tightly shut and looked away, Daniel grabbing her hand and letting her squeeze it as she was given the sedative. Very quickly she felt woozy. Voices around her blended together, she couldn't understand anything. She felt a cool breeze waft through the room and realized that they were preparing her for the incision. She looked up at the lights, unable to find the source of the brightness as she was flooded with another memory.  
This time she was on a ship. A space ship. She didn't know how she knew that, she just did. Before her was a throne and a man. He was very beautiful. Anubis. The name echoed in her head. He said something, she couldn't understand it. She felt like she should have been able to but she just...couldn't. Suddenly two guards grabbed both her arms and dragged her off. She struggled, feeling pressure...not on her arms...but at her stomach...and she started screaming as the pressure turned into pain. Intolerable pain. She screamed and she screamed, begging for it to stop. She was being ripped apart. She could hear Daniel's voice, why wasn't he stopping them? She couldn't breath, she knew she was going to die.  
In the medical room, the Tokra healers and Dr. Fraiser were trying to work as fast as they could. The symbiote was struggling violently, trying to burrow further into the young archeologist's body, her screams drowning out all other sounds in the room. Both Jacob and Jack were trying to hold Daniel back who was demanding they stop the procedure. There was just so much blood. They'd decided it would be easier to make and incision below the diaphragm, much like a cesarian section. They didn't have much time left and if the symbiote wasn't removed there would be to much internal tearing, they'd never be able to save her. Seconds ticked by as they worked furiously, Sarah's screams dying down. The silence was far more terrifying than the noise. Finally they were able to remove the symbiote. It was immediately given over to one of the Tokra to be taken and destroyed and the two healers went to work trying to save the young doctor. 


	4. Chapter 3

When Sarah finally woke, there was no pain. In fact, she couldn't feel anything. It was hard to think, hard to focus on anything, everything was blurry. She was aware of a warm pressure by her side, at her hand. With supreme effort, she raised her head only to see a messy brunette one laying by her side, a hand in hers. Daniel must have fallen asleep there, he looked so exhausted. Then it returned to her. The procedure. She was surprised she was alive, there was so much pain. But she was. Or this was heaven. Gently taking her hand from his she strokes hair away from his eyes, pulling his glasses off his face and setting them beside the bed so they wouldn't get bent. The two of them had spent many a hour trying to fix bent glasses, she'd gotten rather good at it.  
When she woke again, she felt...fine. Like nothing happened. She slowly sat up, looking around before looking down at her stomach, lifting the shirt. There was a thin red line where the incision had been made, but it looked healed. Slowly standing, she looked around again before stepping into the hallway. The only person there was Jacob.  
"Have a seat." he said, pushing a chair out with his foot.  
"Where is everyone...?" she asked softly, grabbing a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table as she sat, rolling it between her hands before putting it back, having no real appetite.  
"They went to go try to get Danny to eat something. That boy has a knack for bringing out paternal instincts in people."  
Sarah smiled knowingly and it was a long moment before she spoke. "What's going to happen when I go back?" she had to ask, had to know.  
Jacob thought for a long moment. He didn't want to scare her, but he couldn't lie to her either. "Hammond's a good guy, and a great CO. He likes you. He's going to do everything he can to protect you from the people that would want to do you harm. In a few month's they'll have a new witches hunt. One thing about the SGC...these people are pratically cut off from the world, just like you were. They turn to each other for human contact and comfort. They're their own family and you've done your trial by fire already, you'll do fine." It was a fine line between the truth and the lies. Hammond would do everything he could to protect her, as would SG:1. That would go a long way to keep the NIS away from, her. He liked her, got to know her a little before SG:1 came to the Tokra base, she was a good kid.  
They sat in companionable silence until they heard voices coming down the hall.   
"Sam, I told you, I'm not hungry." Came Daniel's voice, almost with a whiney tone of that of a child complaining to his mother.  
"Yeah Carter, why is Daniel the only one you're trying to take care of?" Came Jack's quip, trying to sound hurt.  
"Because sir, Daniel actually knows how to show gratitude. Daniel knows how to appreciate a gesture. Daniel doesn't.."  
"Hey hey hey!" Jack interjected, holding up his hands. "I surrender!" His relationship with Sam was questionable at best. It wasn't what he could say was perfectly conformed to regulations. Secrete looks, touches that lasted a moment to long...It was complicated and things were going to explode soon, one way or the other. But they weren't here to work out their relationship, they were here for Daniel.  
Sarah stood when they headed into the room and Daniel was immediately by her side. "Hey...how do you feel? You had us worried for a while. I'm sorry, I didn't know it would be so.."  
"It's alright." she said smiling a little, his caring touching. "I'm fine. I feel better than I have in a long time in fact. You didn't eat?" she said with amusement, forcing her face to be stern.  
Daniel shot Sam a look who at least had the good graces to look sheepish and turned back to Sarah, changing the subject, "Are you tired?" she shook her head and Daniel shot a look to Jack.  
"Weeell...." he said, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops and rocking back on his heels. "We might as well head back to Earth, I think we'll all rest easier back home."  
Jacob nodded and stood, "Sounds like a plan. Sammie..?"   
Sam just nodded and headed over to her father who stepped away from the group to say their goodbyes.  
"I'll go get dressed," Sarah said, heading back to her room, Daniel just naturally following leaving Jack and Teal'c alone. Stepping into the small room she'd been staying in, she glanced back at Daniel as she moved to a stand with drawers. "We should talk...shouldn't we?" she asked softly, grabbing a soft knit sweater in the drawer and pulling the nightgown they put her in over her head.  
"Sarah, I don't want to push you. But I need you to know that...that I care. A lot. When I saw you disappear...You were my best friend and someone I respect and.." he was cut off abruptly as she kissed him. For one, long, drawn out moment he fought to keep his hands off her bare skin before shaking hands pulled her closer with a soft groan.   
She smiled into the kiss. He tasted sinful and she slowly ran her hands up his chest. My, my, my, her Daniel had filled out quite a bit in the last 5 years. "Daniel...you think to much," she whispered huskily. She was naked and she was working on making him join her in that state, her hands working on buttons and zippers, mouth and tongue busily at work at his lips, his cheeks, his neck.   
Sarah gave him a small push and he landed back on the bed with a small bounce, his eyes wide behind his glasses. Slowly she stretched out on top of him. The others could wait.  
  
An hour later they stood in front of the Stargate as it whooshed to life.  
"Are you sure this is safe?" Sarah asked hesitently.   
"Oh sure, youbetcha!" Jack said cheerfully. "Well...things HAVE been known to go wrong, the wormhole's been diverted, cut off, sent to other plane..." He was cut off as Carter elbowed him in the ribs. "It's safe." he quickly finished, eyeing his 2IC. Sam headed through first, followed by Teal'c. Jack just shot the two a knowing little grin before stepping through himself.  
"It's safe...trust me...just close your eyes..." Daniel said with a soft smile. Sarah did as he requested and he took both her hands and stepping backwards, he lead her through the gate. She f  
elt a cold dryness, like she was being freeze dried, then everything went still and she felt a cold dampness.   
Opening her eyes she found herself in a large room filled with Military personnel with Dr. Janet Fraiser waiting for them at the end of a ramp."Dr. Gardner? If you'll come with me we'll get some formalities out of the way." she said with a smile.   
Sarah dropped Daniel's hands and headed out with the good Doctor.  
"So...Dannyboy..." Jack said with a grin, propping his elbow up on the younger man's shoulder. "What was the hold up back there...?"  
Sam rolled her eyes and headed out of the gate room with a muttering about men. Daniel shrugged off Jack's elbow with a smirk, "Now what kind of guy would I be if I kiss and told?"  
"A popular one." Jack answered with a grin.  
Daniel shook his head. It had been a long time since he felt this good. "I'm going to go see about getting Sarah some cloths and get her settled in..."  
"Into YOUR quarters I presume?" Jack shot, his grin widening.  
Daniel simply blushed and headed out. 


	5. Chapter 4

Sarah was getting tired of being poked and prodded. Janet Fraiser was pleasant enough but the supreme clean smell of the medical room was making her sick to her stomach. Not to mention the fear that something would be found to keep her from being able to leave. Maybe she carried some disease, an infection from the Gou'ald. Maybe she'd be thrown into a contamination room until she died and then dissected like an animal. She looked up suddenly, realizing someone was talking to her. "What? I'm sorry..."  
"I asked if you felt alright, you're pale." Janet said with a frown before putting one gloved hand on her forehead. "And clammy."  
Sarah smiled weakly, "Doctors...no offense, just a bit of a phobia, I get a little nervous."   
Janet smiled sympathetically. "Most doctor's don't like being on the other end of the stethescope either." she said, giving the younger woman's hand a calming pat and handed her a cold compress. "Just relax, we'll be done and have you in bed in no time." Sarah nodded and laid back, throwing the compress over her face to try to block out the sting as a nurse took another vile of blood.  
A half hour later, a very woozy archeologist stood with the help of her very handsome significant other.   
"Thanks Janet..." Daniel said, adjusting his grip on Sarah before just swinging her up into his arms, the movement making her moan unhappily.  
"No problem. She'll be fine, she just needs water and sleep. She had a big day."   
Sarah HAD had a big day, she disliked doctors, she hated seeing her own blood even more and when she caught glimpse of one of the viles holding her blood that was waiting to be tested, she dropped like a dead man. Somehow between throwing up and fainting, they managed to finish the exam. Normally Fraiser would have wanted to keep her in the medical lab, but her already strained reaction to even being in the medical labs would do nothing to help her recover. She'd be safe, just a few hall ways away.   
Luckily most of the SGC staff had disapeared for the night, it was just past midnight and the facility was pratically deserted. Daniel easily found his way to his quarters and kicked the door open. Sarah was quiet, possibly asleep, her head heavy on his shoulder. He kicked the door shut again and layed her on the cot, the covers already turned down. He knew Sarah's reaction to medical personnel, and knew she'd be wiped out for the night.   
"Daniel?" came a sleepy voice, her eyes still closed.  
"Yeah...?"  
"....I missed you."  
Daniel smiled tenderly, brushing a golden curl away from her pale face. "I missed you too."  
"Promise you wont go again..?"  
"I promise."  
"Daniel..?" she said again after a moment of silence.  
"Yeah?"  
"Gunna be sick again..."  
Never before in the history of humantiy has a man been so happy to help a girlfriend into the bathroom and hold her hair away from the toilet as she was sick.  
  
The morning dawned bright and early. Lucky for the people deep in the bowls of the SGC, they weren't able to see it. Daniel woke up feeling heavy. No...it wasn't HIM that was heavy...something was on him. Rubbing his eyes he blindly looked down only to have a mass of golden hair in his face and he grinned, squeezing his arms around the slight bundle fast asleep in his arms, happily reassuring himself that she was really there. Today, there would be a psych evaluation, to make sure she wasn't suicidal or a threat to anyone. It wasn't the most pleasant thing in the world to do, but it wasn't to painful. Mackenzie was a good guy, he wouldn't rake her over the coals to delve into her inner psyche.  
Gently he moved Sarah off him and rolled to his feet, heading to the bathroom. He flicked on the coffee maker on the way by it. The SGC mess had something they called coffee, but it wasn't coffee. Flipping on the shower to hot he let the bathroom steam up while he stripped down. Stepping into the shower, he hissed as the hot water pelted his body, quickly forcing the tension to leave him. It beat directly on his face, running down his body as he leaned against the wall, his mind racing against his will.   
Common sense said he was rushing things. But was he really? They'd known each other for 10 years, been lovers for 8, lived together just as long. He wasn't a young man any more and even when he had been, he had been sorely lacking in wild oats. He WANTED someone to come home to, he WANTED someone to miss him when he was gone, he WANTED to worry about someone when they were 5 minutes late getting home. So the question was what did Sarah want?  
She'd always been amazing when it came to their relationship. Yeah, sure she did things that drove him nuts. Panty hose in the sink, putting the forks in front of the spoons in the silverware drawer. But those little quirks had become endearing over the years. He knew he wasn't the easiest person in the world to live with either. Yeah, they'd fought. But never once did they go to bed mad. So the real question was if he was willing to open himself up to be hurt again, like he was hurt when Sha'uri was taken and then killed. He wasn't going to go there. Sha'uri wasn't Sarah, and Sarah wasn't Sha'uri and he loved them both for different reasons. He knew what it was like to be alone and he knew what it was like to be with someone. He never wanted to be alone again.  
But was it fair to go to Sarah with so much baggage? Yes he had needs, but so did she. Maybe she didn't need a needy wet blanket. She had so much to work through, he knew. He knew everything was fine now. But one day, or maybe at night, when everything seems to be going fine, something would set it off. Something would cause the happy bubble she'd created around herself to make her think it was okay to burst and it would come crashing down around her. Could he be the man she needed to get her through it? He never thought of himself as strong.   
His thoughts were instantly cut off as two hands slipped over his back. He had been so consumed with his thoughts he never even felt the shower door slide open and Sarah slip in.  
"Hey stranger..." She said, her voice slurred with sleep as she slowly lapped at a trickle of water running down his back. "You need to stop."  
"Stop what..?"  
"Over analyzing this. Us."  
Daniel had to chuckle a little, "It's not fair that you know me that well."  
"Knew you were going to say that..." she shot back with a small giggle, her hands reaching for the soap. Oh yeah..he could get used to this. 


	6. Chapter 5

Later that day he found himself wandering. He'd delivered Sarah to Mackenzie's office and he said they'd come find him when they were done, in clear dismissal. He wondered what she was telling them. Sarah was English and by default, a naturally very private person. She was a strong believer that some things were meant to stay personal. How much would she reveal? How much COULD she reveal? She still claimed no memory of the past year, and she dodged the subject of the previous 5 years when he was gone. Not that they'd had a ton of time to talk at all.   
He was driving himself nuts. Sarah was right, he was overanalyzing everything. He had to just relax and let things happen. Without realizing it he wandered into his office, looking around. Organized chaos, that's what he claimed. He couldn't help but smile in anticipation. Sarah was something of a Nazi when it came to organization. Their labs in Chicago with Dr. Jordan had been kept impeccable to the point where she claimed that she cleaned more than she worked. But it was good natured, they all knew it. She always called the three of them, himself, Dr. Jordan, and Stephen, "her men" and he was told on more than one occasion that she enjoyed being able to take care of them.   
Sitting in his chair, he allowed himself the luxury to put his feet up, careful not to let them land on anything important as he relaxed in his sanctuary. He couldn't wait, the two of them burning the midnight oil, working side by side, arguing over conflicts, sharing triumphs.  
"You look comfy," said a voice from the door way. "I think we need to save 30 something blonde doctors of archeology more often." Jack said, flopping into the chair opposite Daniel's desk. "Seriously...congratulations buddy...I haven't seen you this relax in God knows how long. It's good to see you happy again." he continued.   
Daniel was touched, such show of emotions was rare from his gruff military friend, his softer side only coming through in the best or most tragic situations. "Thanks. But it's Sarah who did it all. Can you imagine having to survive through that?"  
Jack put his own feet up, hands behind his head. He really couldn't. It was hard enough to think of Sam holding the memories of Jondliar, who was one of the good guys. And she didn't even have all her memories, just flashes and that was still enough to free the pretty scientist out from time to time. Jack smiled as the two fell into silence, thinking about their own respective blondes. He and Carter had talked last night, really talked. While there were still things that needed to be resolved, they had resolved many of the issues standing in their way. He remembered part of a quote from highschool....something about living and losing...  
The two were snapped out of their day dreams when the klaxons blared. They shared a look of concern before getting to their feet and rushing to the gate room.  
When they got to the observation room, they were just in time to see the stargate activate and Tokra rush through. Brining up the end was Jacob Carter, limping. Hammond was already on his way down.  
"Jacob, what happened...?" He asked over the chaos as the medical teams rushed into the gate room to try to save the lives of the 20 some Tokra who were able to escape.  
"Bad news. The best we can tell, there's an organized attack going on against dozens of Tokra bases. The system lords are working together."  
"Aren't you guys supposed to keep tabs on these kinds of things?" Jack asked.  
"We had no idea. There's only one person around that might. A former system lord." Jacob countered, looking to Daniel who met his gaze with a sinking feeling.  
  
"I've told you for the hundredth time, I don't know!" Sarah said plaintively, losing her patience with herself and her counterparts in the room. "If I could remember anything, I'd tell you but I don't!"  
"It's okay..." Daniel said, moving to her, rubbing her shoulders.   
"What about those little disk things the Tokra used on Sam to recover Jondilar's memories?" Jack asked Jacob.  
Colonel Mackenzie stood up shaking his head, "I'd advise against forcing any memories to be forced to surface. The reason Dr. Gardner can't remember is because there's such a mass of memory trying to be processed that her brain would short circuit if it all hit her at once."  
Everyone looked at each other grimly before Sarah finally stood, "I don't suppose we have much of a choice do we?"  
"Sarah.." Daniel began and she quickly interupted.  
"Daniel, I know you're worried, believe me I am too. But we have to know what's going on, I don't think we have any real options. Jacob...?"  
He sighed. He didn't like this one bit, but she was right. "Maybe we should do this in medical just in case?  
They entire entourage entered medical which was still busy with Tokra wounded. The gate had been activated a dozen times in the last hour with more and more wounded pouring through. Janet tore herself away, most of the injuries weren't to serious. The Gou'ald didn't try to injure their opponents, they were going for the kill. Most of the injured received their wounds from debris from zat blasts. Quickly, she moved everyone into one of the private VIP rooms.  
"I have to agree with Colonel Mackenzie...it's to soon," she said as she begrudgingly hooked Sarah up to a heart monitor. Beyond that, there was very little she could do. No one had an answer to her complaint.  
"This is going to hurt a little bit." Jacob said softly as he put the small disk to Sarah's temple and she winced as it connected with her skin, then nodded that she was alright. "Okay...the only real way to control what you see is for you to try to guide your thoughts to a certain time or event. Try to concentrate on anything to do with an attack..." Jacob looked to Sam, she out of the entire group had any idea what Sarah might experience.  
"Just...try to stay focused...and remember where you really are." was all the scientist could offer.  
Sarah nodded to Jacob who activated the device. Almost immediately, she grabbed her head in pain, memories flashing through her mind, to vivid to tell them apart or even decipher one from the next. She must have yelled out in pain because a moment later it was gone and Daniel was holding her face between his hands, trying to say something. She opened her eyes through the hazy fog, her eyes locking on his for a long moment before nodding.  
"I'm alright...It was just...a surprise." she managed to croak out as Janet handed her a glass of water and she sipped it gratefully.   
"Her readings went off the chart, I can't let this to continue." Janet said with finality and Sarah sighed, half grateful.  
"If the Gou'ald are such a problem, why don't you just...I don't know, destroy their motherships?" Sarah asked, wiping away persperation.  
"Oh yeah sure, youbetcha, we'll just fedex it..wonder if they'll charge extra?" Jack quipped.  
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I MEANT through the stargate."  
"Wait a second...." Sam interjected. "Are you saying...that the motherships have stargates?" she asked incredulously.   
"Of course....this is news...?" Sarah said in surprise, looking at their faces. "There are 8 chevron's on the gate."  
"Yes, but we've only ever activated 7 of them." Sam explained, sinking into a chair at the implications. "The 8th...is time."  
"Whoa there, hold your horses...the stargate is a time machine?!" Jack asked, not sure if he was excited or not.   
Sam smiled, "No sir. You ever been on a boat? They measure their quardinants with time. A certain number of minutes north or west of a line of latitude. It allows people to track a moving object by using stationary positions."  
"Like star constellations." Jack finished. "So in theory, if we knew where a mother ship was, we'd be able to gate a nuke up there?"  
"In theory....we'd have to know EXACT locations of the ships or the wormhole would be off." Sam added, barely able to contain her excitement.  
"Jacob, did you're people know about this?"  
"We didn't have a clue. The stargate on the ships were probably only used for a last resort escape route, only the system lord in command would probably know about it."  
At that point, Sarah stopped paying attention to the conversation. She was glad she was able to help out. Maybe this would give them the edge they needed to defeat the Gou'ald. She felt Daniel squeeze her hand and gently peel the disk off her temple, placing a kiss there as if to make it all better. And in a way, it did.  
  
Mackenzie had insisted on continuing his evaluation for another day. The SGC was a flurry of activity. There were plans in the works to see how viable an attack would be through the stargates on the mother ships. Before, Daniel would have been in the thick of it, wanting to cause as much damage as possible but now his mind was consumed with other things. Cleaning.  
He didn't realize he'd let his apartment slip so much and he didn't want Sarah to come home to a dirty apartment. Both Mackenzie and Fraiser agreed that Sarah shouldn't be on her own, and while they were both iffy that romantic entanglements would help her at the moment, they knew she couldn't have a better care taker than Daniel, and the two seemed intent on being together. Who were they to stand in the way of young love?  
  
So Daniel cleaned like a mad man. Everything was washed and polished. She'd be getting a ride home that night from an MP. He'd wanted to stay, to be there when she was done, but he knew he should have things ready. He'd gone all out. There were candles sitting in clusters on every available surface just ready to be lit and dinner was in the oven. He'd whipped up an old dish they'd both fallen in love with back in Egypt. It had been a miracle that he'd found everything he needed for it. The bed was turned down, the balcony windows had been left open and the room smelled fresh and crisp. He spotted the tell-tell military vehicle pulling into the parking lot of his apartment and started lighting candles.   
He just finished with the last bunch when there came a knock. He tried to hold back a boyish grin and took a moment to calm himself before swinging the door open. 


	7. Chapter 6

"Hey.." She said with a smile.  
"Welcome home," he replied. Struck with a sudden impulse he swept her up into his arms and she laughed.  
"What are you doing?"  
"Carrying you over the threshold." He said with a boyish grin. Her only response was to push his glasses further up his nose before they slid completely off. Daniel let her down slowly once they were back into the living room.  
"I love your place," she said, taking it all in, moving to a book shelf and reverently picking up an artifact from some unnamed planet. "It's so...you." she continued, putting it down and turning to look at him.  
"Sam got you some things to wear, you can freshen up while I get dinner on the table." he offered, still grinning. Sarah just smiled and headed into the bedroom, moving to the various bags sitting neatly on the bed. My, Major Carter certainly had a wonderful taste in nightcloths, she thought as she looked over a wonderfully silky pink nightgown that would leave very little to Daniel's imagination. Digging through the rest of the bags she found a warm sweater and slipped it over her head along with some draw string pants and headed back out just in time to see Daniel put the food on the table.  
"It smells wonderful...is that..?"  
"Yes it is. I didn't know if you'd remember."  
"How could I forget? We lived of this stuff." she said, picking up a sweet roll and nibbling on an edge as she sat.  
"Do you know what today is...?" Daniel asked as he poured them both a glass of wine. Sarah racked her brain. An old anniversary maybe? "Valentine's day." he said with a flourish, sitting.  
Sarah laughed, "Such a romantic Dr. Jackson."   
Daniel quickly set the food on the table and sat as well and they started in with a voracious appetites. They didn't bother speaking, they didn't need to and the silence was comfortable.   
When dinner was over the headed to the big comfy couch. Daniel sat at an angle to the corner and pulled Sarah down so she was nestled up between him and the couch back. He contemplatively twirled a curl around his finger as she pressed her ear over his heart, the steady, calm beating relaxing her into almost a trance like state.  
And suddenly, she was no longer in Daniel's apartment, their apartment. She was in a dark room and she was very very afraid. She knew her lord was coming and she knew he was displeased. Anubis was well known for his fury. She remembered a meeting. With other system lords. And she remembered being sold out. His anger would be swift....  
"Sarah! Sarah!" She dimly heard and felt a shaking. "Sarah!" the voice was clearer now and she was once again in Daniel's living room. Blinking she looked to the voice to see a very concerned pair of blue eyes looking at her. "What happened? You just tensed up..."  
Sarah looked at him, then away, shaking her head. "I was remembering..."  
  
The next morning dawned grey and unhappy. It had been a rough night for Colorado Springs and those on the 8th floor of one particular apartment building. Sarah woke up 3 different times, shaking and drenched with sweat. All Daniel could do was hold her, try to calm her. She refused to talk about her dreams, was almost in tears with insistence, and he didn't want to upset her any more than she already was.   
He finally rolled out of bed around 8, letting her rest as he headed to the kitchen to see what he could make them for breakfast. He took a few minutes out to call in and ask the General if it'd be alright if he took the next few days off. He didn't need to give details, both Dr. Fraiser and Dr. Mackenzie briefed him on the transitional period Dr. Gardner would be going through. He wished Daniel good luck and gave them until the following Monday. One week to work out thousands of years worth of memories and then they could afford no more time. He didn't let himself think of what would happen if Sarah couldn't deal with it.   
Making as little noise as possible, he dug out dishes and pans and started making breakfast. He never noticed two tiny, size 7 feet pad into the room and lean against the door way, watching. He'd turned the radio on softly as to not wake her and was mouthing along to Carol King's "One Fine Day", giving his butt a little shake in all the appropriate places. It finally ended and she had to clap, causing him to whip around, almost dropping the skillet and she didn't bother to hide a giggle.  
"It's not nice when you sneak up on people," he said, almost pouting.  
"So sorry..." she said with a wicked grin.  
"Oh yeah?!" he said, dropping the skillet in the sink and moving over to her, hauling her over his shoulder and heading back to the bedroom. Neither remember breakfast.  
The week went by more smoothly as they fell into a routine. If she had any more nightmares, she hid them well from him. They'd seen about getting her various bank accounts and such reactivated with a little political fanangaling, and she'd gotten a car. They also went to Denver for a day and she did some serious shopping and got a really good start on rebuilding her wardrobe. They'd taken in an opera while they were there, had wined and dined and spent the night in one of the fanciest hotels the city could offer. It had been so easy to fall back into their easy relationship, talking about work, new findings, research ideas, theories.  
Finally, Monday rolled around. They were both up early, and reached the SGC before 8. Everyone they met had heard of her, and welcomed her warmly. Finally they got down to the sub level where Daniel's office was tucked away. He proudly unlocked the door and swung it open.  
"Oh Daniel...it's a mess!" was the first thing Sarah said, shaking her head.  
"It's not that bad!" He said with a small grin, knowing it was a little...unorganized. Sarah just shot him a look and rolled up her sleeves before digging in. He watched for a few minutes before a voice cleared behind him and he turned.  
"Hey Daniel," said Sam with a smile, two cups of coffee in hand.  
"Wow...you must have missed me..." He said with a grin, taking the cups and putting one on the table Sarah's working at, who never even looked up as she took it and sipped it.  
"Of course I missed you, we always miss you!" Sam said with a grin. "And I needed to tell you we have a briefing in an hour with Hammond."  
Daniel winced. He knew that he wouldn't be able to just sit on the side lines forever, but he didn't want to leave Sarah alone quite yet. She had yet to look up from her work, papers spread everywhere and being pulled from every folder, nook and cranny to try to get them into some form of organizational order.  
"I'll be there," Daniel said, Sam giving him a little pat. "When are we going off world?"  
"After dinner tonight. It's supposed to just be for a day. There's some strange structures and writings around the gate.." Sam said, the last part coaxingly.  
Daniel had to smile, "See you in an hour then."  
"See you there," Sam said in the way of a farewell, again heading out.  
Daniel's attention once more turned back towards Sara who was rummaging through one of the many filing cabinets. "Are you going to be okay?"  
She glanced up, awarding him with a smile, "I'm going to miss you, but I'll manage." she reassured him. "Time to be a big girl, stand on my own two feet." He looked skeptical. "Really, I'll be fine!" she reiterated.   
"Alright, alright!" He smiled, raising his hands in defeat and moved over to her, pulling the folders from her hands and dropping them, pulling her into his arms.  
"So THAT'S how it got so messy..." she said with a teasing grin before kissing him.  
  
An hour later, Daniel raced into the briefing room a few minutes late, his hair happily mussed. Hammond didn't have the heart to chide him and Jack's grin promised no end of ribbing.   
"PX2-434, uninhabited to our knowledge. Our survey picked up some structures, nothing to advanced or well structured, they look like pillars of some kind." Hammond said, showing the pictures that they recovered on the view screen.  
"Greek...or maybe Phonecian." Daniel offered to anyone who was paying enough attention to care.   
"I need to you to go and see if there are any signs of life. If not, maybe find out why. Simple recon, in and out in a day." Hammond finished, looking at each and every one of them like a father telling his children exactly what they'd be able to get before going into a candy store. "You leave at 1900. Dismissed." Everyone took a breath as he left.  
"It's almost as if he doesn't trust us." Jack said dryly, standing and cracking his back.  
"Well sir, we do seem to have a habit of making normal situations....messy." Carter said, standing as well.  
"Messy? Messy?!" Jack exclaimed, feigning disbelief. "We get the job done, don't we?"  
"After making a pretty big splash, yeah." she conceded, the two arguing playfully as they headed down the hall.   
Teal'c cocked his head to the side. "DanielJackson, I do believe Colonel O'Neil and Major Carter are acting strangely."  
"Huh?" Daniel said, looking after the two. "Oh...that. Yeah, they've changed..but for the better I think. I wouldn't worry about it."  
"I am not worried. I am most glad that Colonel O'Neil and Major Carter have stopped masking their feelings for one another. I do not understand those of your regulations that have prohibited them from exploring their natural feelings towards one another."  
Daniel blinked. Jack and Sam...."together"? He hadn't noticed. Then again, he had been pretty wrapped up in himself the last few months. A lot suddenly made sense. Jack defending Carter in some inane argument they had with some brass, looks across the briefing table, leaving together at night...a lot made sense.  
"You know what? I agree." Daniel said with a smile. He was happy for his friends, but hoped they knew what risk they were taking. He had no doubt Hammond wouldn't raise an issue with it as long as their work didn't suffer, but one never knew. Some private Jack managed to tick off might send in a complaint, some visiting brass my catch a hint of what they deem to be improper. He realized that Teal'c was waiting for him to stop thinking so he could speak once more and he gave the large man his attention.  
"I was meaning to ask you about Dr. Gardner. Although I do not wish to interfere, I do realize she has undergone many changes. I could perhapse show her some of the easier aspects of the Kel'Nor'Rem to help her focus her mind and control what memories she still has from carrying Osiris within her."  
Daniel smiled. This was his friends way of saying that he welcomed Sarah into the proverbial fold, and that he'd stand by her and defend her in his place if it ever came to that. "Thanks Teal'c. I'm sure she'd like that." Teal'c nodded and headed out.  
Daniel sat for a moment, smiling and thinking. Things were going so well.  
  
Later that night at 1900, the gate was activated. He had a tearful goodbye with Sarah who had tried so hard to act nonchalant, but tears finally fell. She didn't ask him not to go, she just asked that he came home in one piece. He promised to do so with a gentle kiss and left her in his office, not wanting her to walk down to the gate room with him, a little choked up himself.   
"How do you do it?" he asked Jack while walking down the hall to the gate room."  
"Leave loved ones behind? You just...do it. You can't let yourself think of it and you try not to think about them while you're gone or it'll drive you nuts." Jack said softly, no joking in his tone. "You remind yourself why you do it, to keep them safe. And at night, you remind yourself you're a few hours closer to being able to be back." and with that, Jack gave him a pat on the shoulder and he grinned, "Besides, ya still got me."   
Daniel laughed, "Gunna cuddle up tonight or is Sam the jealous type?" he teased right back.  
"With you? I think she can assume I'm safe. So...just how many people know about all of us?"  
"Pretty much everyone." Daniel said with a smirk and Jack winced.  
"And here I thought we were being sneaky."  
"Some things you just can't hide." Was all Daniel said as he walked into the gate room.  
And some things shouldn't be hidden. 


End file.
